


Return

by SydneyFlaire



Series: Bayani Universe [8]
Category: Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (2018)
Genre: F/M, Love, Reconcilation, Return, Romance, aftermath of war, returning back to a love one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-07-26 00:44:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16209131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SydneyFlaire/pseuds/SydneyFlaire
Summary: Tirad Pass surely has its fair share of history in Philippine history: for it showcase the heroism of the Boy General. But... what if it had been otherwise? Instead of dying, Goyo survived Tirad Pass. Will he be able to have his own happy ending, and find it at Dagupan?





	1. Chapter 1

Despite winning and surviving Tirad Pass, it would forever haunt Goyo that he almost died for another time. That it had been another dance with death. Perhaps, upon knowing his conviction to survive for his family and for a certain woman he hesitantly had left in Dagupan, Death had spared him for another time. To bring him back home, and to at least give him a chance for the taste of a happy ending.

That’s why, right after the battle, he had asked _Señor Presidente_ if it would be possible for him to at least spend Christmas with the people he truly had kept on his heart at the moment he had considered to be his last. He said that the war had torn apart families for far too long, and everyone was edgy to make it to their homes for Christmas. With the success of Tirad Pass, _Señor Presidente_ allowed him and his brigade. But made him promise, along with his forces, that their loyalties remained to him—that when he’ll be in need another time, they must submit to their duty. That they’ll only be at home with their families for Christmas, at most until New Year; but they _must_ return after such celebrations for everyone must remember that they remain at war.

_Señor Presidente_ had warned him himself that the journey back to Bulacan will be greeted with a battle with Americans. That the best option he and his forces have was to scatter away. And to at least mislead the Americans than to give the enemies the advantage of knowing that their target would be their home province.

Goyo had plans already. He was planning to drop by Dagupan first before heading home. Vicente teased him that he better grabbed the necessary opportunity to finally settle the scores. The war would continue on, and they had promised to be at Bulacan for Christmas. They mustn’t missed it, or else, Julian would kill them. After all, news surely had been spread already that the two of them had survived the ordeal.

The two of them, along with Joven, had reached Dagupan a few days later. At the outskirt of the town, they learned that Dagupan was already under the occupation of the Americans. Due to that, he and Vicente stripped off their military coats, cap and hat, boots and their armaments, before burying them at a secluded place, leaving a subtle reminder, and they entered the city on their inner shirts, faded military pants and satchels. With them being known around Dagupan, they needed to be much more careful, trailing the long road to the house of Don Mariano—the one almost trailing the outlet of the gulf.

“Hoy, Goyo,” Vicente called out to him in almost a whisper, patting him on his shoulder that caused him to stop. “Hindi ba si Remedios iyon?” He asked, pointing at a lone figure seated by the rocks and overlooking the setting sun.

“Anong ginagawa niya—” Goyo was interrupted right away when both Vicente and Joven pushed him out of their hiding spot. He fell back to the ground with a groan, and as he sat up, he mumbled under his breath, “Puñeta.” But now that he was out in the open as he lifted his head up, he realized that the woman had turned to him, surprised and unsure as she called his name.

“Goyo?” she asked with a slight frown, standing from her seat among the rocks.

“Remedios,” he sighed, pulling himself upright. He brushed the existent dirt on his clothes, realizing that he was completely stripped off his honor as a soldier because this was the only way that he, Vicente and Joven could enter Dagupan safely without being hinted by the Americans as commanding officials of the Philippine Republic. He felt ashamed, when the previous times that Remedios had seen him, he was proudly wearing his uniform as an esteemed soldier. “A-Ako’y—”

“Nagbalik ka,” Remedios finished off, drawing closer, slowly, afraid that he was just an illusion right now. She bit her lower lip as she was finally standing right in front of him. “Nabalitaan ko ang nangyari sa Pasong Tirad. At...” She lowered her head, stammering for a second. “At... di ko inaasahan na babalik ka, sapagkat nasa ilalim na ng mga Amerikano ang mga bayang palibot ng Golpo ng Lingayen. At magpapasko na din, at iniisip ko na ika’y uuwi ng Bulacan upang kahit papaano ay makapagdiwang ng Pasko kasama—”

“Remedios,” he started another time. With them being this close to each other, he couldn’t even find the strength in him to be so much more.

When he read her letter to him, he understood something—that the way to earn her love was to break apart everything that heralded him as a hero. That he must find it within himself his true essence. That from the start and in the end, no matter what happens, he would always just be a boy—a _man_ —named Gregorio del Pilar.

And he was here to make her know that. “Nagbabalik ako dahil... Dahil tama ka sa lahat ng bagay. _Tama_ silang lahat tungkol sa akin. Pero, naparito din ako upang sabihin na... Na nagkamali kang ituring akong isang bayaning di mo maabot.” He hesitantly took her hand on his own, guiding her hand at the place of his heart. He was no longer shaking compared to the last time. For he was no longer lost. “Dahil buong-buo akong nandito sa harapan mo ngayon upang iparamdam sa iyo na buong-buo rin ang aking pagmamahal sa iyo.”

She bit her lower lip another time before sighing heavily. “Goyo...”

He squeezed her hand, and he was surprised to find out how the hand he had been holding close grasped the fabric of his shirt. Not to mention that she was shivering.

“Akala ko...” She gulped in hard. Her voice small and quivering. “Akala ko... di na ulit kita makikita. Akala ko makakalimutan mo na ako.”

His eyes saddened, lowering a little to see the presence of a chain around her neck. Looped onto the thin link had been a familiar ring. The same plain gold ring that he had given to her since her father won’t allow her to take that diamond ring that he initially wanted to give. “Remedios... yung singsing na iyan—”

All of a sudden, she drew her face closer to his chest, surprising Goyo himself. “Tumahimik ka, Goyo. Kapag nagsalita ka pa, isusuko kita sa mga Amerikano.”

Goyo was so dumb-struck that he heard himself gasping. He could swore that even Vicente and Joven who’ve been still on their hiding behind the bushes and watching them all along had gasped rather loudly. It took Goyo a second later to relax and chuckle as he finally allowed himself to surround his arms around her. He breathed in her familiar and sweet scent, and his fingers tangled on her hair. He imagined the debt to God for sparing him, but it could all be a good life.

“Alam mo ba na ‘Goyong’ ang tawag sa akin ng pamilya at kaibigan ko?” he inquired in a whisper as he slowly and gently swayed her, allowing her to cry on his chest.

“Sinabihan na nga kitang tumahimik,” she mumbled, trying to suppress her tears. “ _Goyong_.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goyo survived Tirad Pass and was reunited with his love from Dagupan. But there is still someone waiting for him to return alive for Christmas, right?

After spending a few days in hiding with the Nable José family, Goyo and Vicente decided to head back to Bulacan. They’ve preferred Joven to stay with the Nable José where they thought he would remain safe than him with the two of them being surely hunted by the Americans. Vicente was reluctant, but he knew that this was for the best; just as how Goyo had been so hesitant as well on parting ways with Remedios, whom he wanted to introduce to his family for formalities.

Joven, however, assured that it was for his own welfare. Remedios, on the other hand, though Vicente had joked that Goyo must remain loyal if they were to bump with one of Goyo’s previous girlfriends again, had stood firm to say that she was fine and wasn’t jealous; but if it reached her ears that the young general was back to his old tactics of “collecting” women, well, better never plan to return to Dagupan ever again.

The last night of Goyo and Vicente’s travel before finally reaching Bulacan, it had been rainy. The two of them huddled at a cave they found and managed to light up a fire. But it wouldn’t be enough unless there would be more firewood. At that, Goyo opened up his satchel and didn’t hesitate to reach out for the papers that had been in; looking at each one without any moment of doubt to throw it later on to the furnace.

This hadn’t gone unnoticed. Vicente immediately raised a hand to stop Goyo for a second. “Teka, teka. Anong _ginagawa_ mo?”

“Kailangan natin mapanatili yung apoy, hindi ba?” Goyo inquired before shuffling letter after letter onto the fire. “Para naman kasi na kailangan ko pa ang mga ito.”

“Sus naman… nagagawa at nasasabi mo lang iyan para makaapak ka pa rin ng Dagupan, ‘no?” Vicente smiled.

Goyo stopped for a second before shaking his head with a light chuckle. “Walang mangyayari sa atin kung patuloy tayong magpapatali sa ating mga nakaraan. Kaya ko ito ginagawa. Nais kong maging tapat hindi lang kay Remedios, maging sa paninindigan ko na siya ang nararapat na babae para sa akin. Na talagang natatangi siya.”

“Ilang babae na kaya ang nasabihan mo niyan?”

“Kilala mo ako, Enteng.”

Vicente laughed. “Ngayon nga lang talaga kita nakitang ganyang katapat sa isang babae, Goyong. Totoo nga na naiiba si Remedios para maging ganyan ka.”

* * *

It was about dawn when the two reached Bulacan, and what a flood of emotions it had been to find out that they were truly here. _Alive_.

Goyo never imagined that he’ll be back here. To the town of his birth and childhood. At the day of Tirad Pass, he knew that he was to meet his end there. But it truly had been a trick of fate for the bullet to just sizzle a few inches away from his neck. And if his family heard about that luck of his, they would certainly panic and tell him to finally be done with his service. As if they could make him; and as if he would let them to.

But most of all, Goyo was thrilled with the knowledge of living. He couldn’t wait to tell everyone that it was his will that made him survive. And that he wanted them to meet a woman from Dagupan whom he intended to make his wife after being his light and eye-opener.

“Goyong,” Vicente called for him, nudging him by his side. He swallowed hard, afraid of relieving such memory of the latest battle. “Sasabihin mo ba sa kanila na muntikan ka na?”

Goyo sighed heavily. “Maiiwasan ko ba?”

“Hmm… iiyak kasi na parang bata na naman si Julian kapag ganun eh.”

“Hindi mawawala kay Kuya iyon.”

“Ibig kong sabihin ay mas lalong magiging bantay-sarado iyon sa iyo.”

“At dahil doon ay paniguradong tatanda siyang binata.”

Vicente chuckled at that, covering his mouth with his hand as if to ease his laughter. “Panigurado ngayon ay makakahanap na siya sapagkat ‘di mo na magagawang mang-akit ng mga magagandang dilag kung saan man tayo mapadestino ngayon. Sinong mag-aakala na darating tayo ang panahon na magiging seryoso na ikaw, Goyong, sa isang babae.”

“Sinong nagsabi na tatanda akong binata?” Eventually, the two of them stopped walking upon hearing that familiar voice and felt strong arms surrounding their shoulders to draw them closer.

The two of them froze. Especially Goyo whose eyes suddenly moistened and tears finally fell down his cheeks. His voice broke when he spoke, “K-Kuya…”

Vicente laughed, clapping the man on the shoulder to pull away. He was willing to give the brothers space. “Julian.”

Julian let Vicente away, but kept Goyo within his arm. He knocked off his brother’s hat and shuffled his hair. “Tangina niyo. Pinag-alala niyo ako ng sobra.” He chuckled as he blinked away the tears of happiness from his eyes.

“Tangina naman, Julian, napakagandang bati naman niyan!” joked Vicente.

Goyo was still crying. His face was pressed on Julian’s shoulder as if that will suppress him from sobbing; but it was so audible that he had been mumbling all over again three words, an opposite to what he had assumed at that time that they were swimming at the river in Dagupan.

_“Kuya, buhay ako.”_


End file.
